


The Six Words That Broke Us

by Gozufucker



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Adventure?, Angst at the very end, Comedy, F/F, Falling Apart, Humor, I honestly can't tag, It's like a Shiny Chariot spinoff, Just minor stuff, Some AU stuff, The ship is kinda subdued?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-14 14:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11209764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gozufucker/pseuds/Gozufucker
Summary: Atsuko Kagari was not the first to try and revive all the seven words. Before her, there was another. This is the story about her and her companion in their quest... And how that quest both strengthened and broke them.





	1. Arae Aryrha

**Author's Note:**

> This was a little series I got the muse to write after episode 22! To start off, I realize that the first word Chariot revived was Lyonne, but for the sake of the story's pacing, Lyonne's revived later in the story. My plan is to try and present this as a 7-part spin-off like story that details how Chariot and Croix awoke six of the seven words. There will be minor alterations to fit this story, but I'll try and stay as true to what we know of the show's story! Please, enjoy.

Arcturus Forest was always a dark place, hidden from entry due to the dark powers that loomed within. Many were wise enough to avoid such a place, but two students of Luna Nova clad in white had still penetrated the forest’s depths in search of the Grand Triskellion. The one with glasses held a staff close to her chest, examining the little glass-like spheres imprinted upon it’s build, while the one with red hair followed closely behind her, looking about.

“This… Shiny Rod, as you chose to call it.” The one with glasses spoke, almost mocking the name the other had given to it. “Has seven spheres. I’m sure you noticed it already. I’m sure they’re linked to the seven words in some way. The amount of spheres can’t be coincidental.” 

Nothing could be coincidental when it came to magic. Everything was arranged into pretty words of different kinds to form spells that could change a thing’s appearance, or make a broom fly, or make someone invisible. While someone could surely cast magic in a haphazard and even chaotic manner, the truth of the matter was that it was a very strict, systematic system. You couldn’t do magic if you didn’t know the spells.

“That’s right! I had the same thought too, Croix!”

Croix’s head turns to stare at the red haired girl, a cold look in them for just a split second before melting into a warmer gaze, a somewhat smug smile on her face as she spoke. “I’m surprised that you managed to think of that, Chariot. You aren’t that smart.”

Her tone makes it obvious that she’s joking, but it still makes Chariot pout and puff her cheeks out. “Hey, I can be pretty smart when I wanna be! Just because I’m book smart doesn’t mean that I can’t figure stuff out fast.” Her arms are folded across her chest as she looks over to the side, causing Croix’s smug smile to just grow in width. 

“Sure. But not as fast as I can. I’m sure that the “Shiny Rod” has some reason in picking you, but I still feel like I’m more qualified than you. At least my spells don’t make dogs grow as tall as a tree, or…”

Croix’s tone still held that friendly warmth that Chariot had first felt when the other girl had reached out to her, but she could also sense a very subtle sensation of spite. It made her feel horrible, since Croix had a point. She /should/ have been chosen over Chariot in the mission to restore the seven Words.  
  
“Hey!” 

Chariot’s voice cut Croix out before she could continue, running up to the other and wrapping her arm around her shoulder, grinning. “Don’t start trash talking me just because you’re getting better grades! I’ll catch up to you someday! That’s a promise, Croix!”

Croix lunged forwards a little from the force of the other clinging onto her, having to fix her glasses for a moment before then huffing and blowing a strand of hair away from her face. Despite the annoyed action, she still smiled at Chariot and jabbed the shiny rod against her chest, pawing it over to its rightful owner. 

“You better keep it, then. I don’t want you lagging behind me, especially with all this newfound responsibility you’ve got. I don’t want you to disappoint me.”  
  
Both managed to laugh, the earlier hint of spite and tension completely gone from Croix. Once the laughter ceded they walked in silence. While they had brought the necessary magical items to get back home safely, something about the forest creeped Chariot out. It was hidden from the usual ley line pathways for a reason, although Croix had managed to convince her that they’d be safe.

Still, something about the rustling of the leaves and the absence of wind made her anxious. They couldn’t be rustling due to the wind, since there wasn’t any! So why was it rustling!! It was creepy!!! She clung to Croix a little more, trying to disguise it as just her teasing the other some more. Croix didn’t seem to mind too much, silently keeping up her pace while reaching to her pouch for the teleportation items.

They could of course just use their brooms to fly back to Luna Nova, but the use of the teleportation item would make travel much faster. There was no ley line connection point in Arcturus, or none that they knew of at the very least. They’d been lucky enough to find the seal in the first place, testing their luck more in the search of a connection point would be too much. Or so Croix had presented the situation as, and Chariot had trusted her wiser judgement on the matter. Teleportation items were cheap, too.

They reached the forest opening they had landed at, quickly grabbing their brooms. Croix dug around for the nuts, handing one over to Chariot while keeping the other for herself. The rustling in the trees continued despite the lack of wind, but Chariot tried to dispel the doubt in her mind. Maybe it was a bird, or some other small animal.

“You remember how to use these, right? You crack the nut and think about the place you want to go to. The magic inside will burst out and send you to that location. Don’t get distracted while cracking the nut, though. That’ll send you to some random place.”

Croix lectured her about the function of the nut for what felt like the nth time, with most of it going right through Chariot’s right ear and out the left one, her soul leaving her body for the short moment. “I know, I know! You don’t have to keep reminding me about it constantly, Croix.”

Croix gave her that “yes I do” look before then preparing her own nut, keeping a tight hold onto it while thinking of their locale. Chariot did the same, thinking about Luna Nova… Until she became distracted, barely stopping herself from using the nut. The wind wasn’t blowing, and the leaves weren’t rustling anymore.  
  
“Croix!”

Just as Croix was about to crack the nut, a root spewed out from the ground and slashed upwards, breaking the nut and knocking Croix back, falling down onto the ground. Chariot barely avoided the root that was aimed for her, jumping back and pulling out the shiny rod. Now they only had one nut left, although if they just stuck together, the magic should be enough to teleport the both of them to safety.

The noise of creaking wood made them look towards the source. One of the trees that had surrounded the small opening had sprung into life, two branches turning out to be arms, while its roots sprung out of the ground to allow it to move around. It slowly lumbered towards them, roots digging underground. While Chariot managed to snatch her broom and fly up into the air, Croix was still knocked down onto the ground, giving the monstrous tree the chance to wrap its roots around her.  
  
“Hrk- C-Chariot, you n-need to—“

The roots crushed around Croix before she could finish her instructions. A crunch echoed from within the grasp of the roots as Croix struggled and kicked, shoes tamping against the hard wood. “Try and u-use—“

Another root wrapped around Croix’ mouth, silencing her completely while Chariot watched from her higher position. Roots below tried to reach for her, but their length was not great enough to reach from her position in the air. What was she supposed to do?! Croix was going to tell her what to do, right? What spell she should be using! But Croix couldn’t, too focused on her struggle for air to help.

Chariot could feel the color on her face dissipating as she tried to remember the spells she’d studied this far, but nothing of use came to mind. Metamorphosis wouldn’t be able to save Croix, since she hadn’t yet mastered a form big enough to combat the tree. She didn’t remember any spells that could burn the roots, she couldn’t remember anything useful to this situation! Croix would’ve…

She had to act now. In a quick rush she swooped down on her broom and swiped her wand with one hand, reciting some spell she could barely remember the words for in the back of her head. The moisture in the air gathered around her wand and lashed out as she flew past the roots holding and crushing Croix, lashing against it. While the idea was good in theory, the haphazard casting of the spell, as well as Chariot’s inexperience, only ended up in momentarily distracting the monstrous tree.  
  
Chariot kept up the swooping and lashing, but she knew in the back of her mind that this wouldn’t save Croix in the long run. It’d give her the chance to occasionally break her head free and gasp for air, but the root would always return to wrapping around her and crushing her. The battery in her wand was running low already due to the constant usage of the water spell.

What could she do?! She couldn’t do anything to save her friend! If she was the one being crushed, Croix would’ve already saved her and they’d be at Luna Nova, sleeping soundly after the successful retrieval of the shiny rod. She was useless compared to her friend, without any proper knowledge of how to channel magic… She was useless compared to Croix…

Suddenly, she remembered.

Back at Luna Nova, in the library, she remembered how Croix laid out a tapestry for her, detailing the seven Words and the Grand Triskellion and how learning all of the seven words would allow them to reshape the world as they wished, to restore magic and happiness to the world. The third word in the sequence sprung into her mind then and there, as Croix let out a hollow groan.

Arae Aryrha. “Do not compare yourself with others, do what only you can do.”  
Well, what could she do? She couldn’t cast a complex spell from the back of her mind that’d save them all, like Croix would. But she could still save her friend, and she could still believe in the heart of hers that was magic. Do only what she can do.

The third gem on the Shiny Rod began to glow as Chariot grasped for it, raising it high up into the air. Croix barely managed to look up to the shine from her suspended position, the tree stopping to seemingly observe as well. Chariot took a deep breath and thought about the word for the last time before chanting.  
  
“Arae Aryrha!”

The moment Chariot shouted the spell out, the gem’s blow burst out from the shiny rod with Chariot’s whole figure bursting into pink petal-like particles that soon reshaped themselves into the shape of a great hawk. Without even thinking about her actions she swept down and easily cut through the century-old roots with her beak, nabbing Croix onto her back before she could drop. 

After gathering some distance from the tree she morphed once more, this time into the shape of a great, green wolf. She set off into a run with Croix still on her back, sharp ears listening to her friend regaining her breath and consciousness. Once she felt confident in the other’s safety and health, Chariot gathered her focus and made her teleportation item pop out from her wolf form’s mane.

“Use it, Croix!”

If she used it while they were pressed together, the effect of the nut should be able to encompass them both. Croix understood this just as well as Chariot did, quickly taking the nut and cracking it while holding onto Chariot’s mane. In a quick second the two flashed away from Arcturus, leaving the monstrous tree behind to mourn for its lost roots.

And in another second, the two popped right into the front yard of Luna Nova, with Chariot’s green wolf form crashing right against the massive statue, causing her to stumble onto her side. The magic dissipated, leaving Chariot and Croix to lay out on the yard, confused students gathering around them to stare. Croix was the first to rise up, rubbing the back of her while still gasping for air. Her eyes nailed onto the shiny red and its third gem, which still held a faint glow within.  
  
“… I guess the staff knew who to choose. Even if…”

She fades herself out with a smile as Chariot stirs and rises to sit up, groaning and rubbing the back of her head. “Owowowow…” That’d leave a mighty fine bruise on the back of her head for sure. Her pain was interrupted by a hand offered to her, with Chariot’s eyes following it up until she looked the standing Croix in the eye, the sun shining behind her smiling visage.

“Thanks for saving me, Chariot.”

Chariot felt a tinge of pride within her heart. She did what she could! She saved Croix! Her hand grasped Croix’ and pulled herself up to stand on an even level with her, still holding onto her hand even after standing.

“Thank you for trusting in me, Croix. We’ve got one of the seven words already! I’m not going to disappoint you, so…”  
She grasped for Croix’ second hand as well, holding them both while leaning closer to her.

“Let’s find them all! Together!”

Croix felt taken aback at the other’s proclamation, stiff for a moment before relaxing, her fingers intertwining with Chariot’s. She couldn’t gain the staff for herself, but she could still be there to awaken the Words, along with being there to reshape the world. Maybe that’d be enough for her. Her personal needs didn’t matter… Magic did.

“Let’s.”

And so, the tale of these two girls on their quest to restore the seven words of Arcturus and magic into the world begun.


	2. Mayenab Dysheebudo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was very entertaining to write for me, mostly because of it's very slice-of-lifey feel. I also had great fun coming up with a way to use this shiny rod transformation in a different way compared to how it is used in the anime. Please enjoy.

While the first word had come to them right out of the gate, Chariot and Croix still had to do their duties as students of Luna Nova. Croix had to write her theorem on modern usages for magic, and Chariot… Well, Chariot had some exams she had to fail. While she had never been the best student, the simple excitement that came with searching for the words blew away even her smallest motivations to study.

And of course, that led to troubles. And that’s why the two were here, Chariot laying down on Croix’ bed, her face buried against the pillow while Croix meticulously checked through Chariot’s exams and notebooks, comparing their results. While Croix was a year ahead of Chariot, her tendency to meticulously save her old exams and notebooks came in handy in situations such as this. 

“Well, I found out something surprising.”

Croix’ impressed voice made Chariot raise her head from the pillow, strands of red hair covering her eyes somewhat, a hopeful glimmer within her eyes. Maybe her grades were good enough to go on without taking any tests?! Croix was smart, she could calculate something like that within a moment’s notice, right? Gosh, she was so glad that her friend was so--

“Your grades are even worse than I thought. In fact, with grades like these, they’ll have a good reason to expel you.”

The utterly dry tone Croix had made it clear that she was being serious, all colour draining from Chariots face, along with all the hope she had gathered. In a swift motion she crashed off the bed and onto the floor, laying there with her arms and legs spread wide open. She might as well die here and now. If she gets expelled, finding the words will be difficult. And Croix can’t help her, then! She’d be busy with schoolwork, and leaving the academy grounds is always such a hassle.

“Thankfully, I anticipated this and took some liberties before inviting you over to check out your exam results. I already heard you were failing professor Lukić’s class, so I took the liberty of asking for extra credit in your stead. If you complete that extra credit, you won’t have to retake any exams and she’ll let you pass without problems.”

In a flash Chariot bounced up, stars in her eyes as she leaned close to Croix, who out of instinct leaned back in turn, making the chair she was sitting on tilt with her body. “Really?! You did that just for me?! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! You’re the best, Croix! But… Why’d she let me get extra credit? I straight up failed, and I might’ve missed a few classes.”

A few was an understatement, but Croix sighed and fixed her glasses. “At last year’s Samhain festival, I was tasked with preparing some potions. I made her look good in front of our esteemed guests by showing the skills she taught me, so ever since then there’s been an unspoken agreement about a favour. I haven’t needed it so far, but I decided I’d cash it in for you.”

That made Chariot fall quiet. Croix had used a favour with a teacher, a powerful tool in the right hands, just to help Chariot out with her grades? If Croix wanted to, she could’ve asked for anything. Powerful potions, perhaps some recommendations to high-up witches to become an apprentice, so on… And it was used up to bail Chariot out from a failed grade.

“… Seriously, thanks. I think I promised I’d catch up to you and improve my grades, right? Back at the forest. But that ended up being a big fat lie, didn’t it? I’m just way too excited about the words! I want to find them as quickly as possible, so studying just dropped off for me. And now I made you waste something like a favour from a teacher.”

Chariot made a sad face and looked down, spinning some of her hair around her finger. Croix sighed and pet her friend on the head, trying her best to sound reassuring. The somewhat reserved Croix wasn’t very good at being supportive, but she’d give it the best shot she had. “It’s alright. I didn’t expect an airhead like you to do that well anyways.”

Chariot let out a wheeze, leading to Croix continuing. “… But, you just need to be a little more patient. I want to find the words as quickly as possible too, but you need to remember your studies. Thinking about them while doing schoolwork’s just going to distract you from both the words and the schoolwork.”

Be more patient? But that’d be so difficult! Croix had a point, but how would she know how it felt like to hold the shiny rod during class, seeing those gems, seeing the luster the third gem gave off… She just didn’t get what it felt like, being able to unlock those seven words. “Mmmmnnnnnhhh, okay, okay. I’ll try my best. But what was that extra credit task?”

Croix smiled in a smug manner, pushing her glasses up so that a flash shone through them. The atmosphere in the room grew a little ominous, with Chariot gaining a cold sweat on her back for some unknown reason. Just what had the creepy professor cooked up for her? Something easy, right? Because Croix asked, right? Hopefully so, otherwise she might just go and die on site.

“We’ll be going fishing, Chariot.”

One transition to the nearby lake, and…

The boat under them softly tilted from side to side as Croix’ used her magic to row the boat, with Chariot at the front, some water dripping down the edges of her hat. She’d dropped it into the water at one point, giving off a wonderful impression of this fishing trip they were about to embark on.

“… You still haven’t told me what we’re fishing for.” What would the professor even need? She made potions, right? Sure, sometimes witches used fish guts or seaweed as raw materials, but those were easy to get. This seemed like a strange way to get extra credit, especially for a witch. Something smelled, and it wasn’t the dried up fish carcass at the bottom of the little rowboat. Neither of the girls had the guts to remove it, so it stayed there, stinking up the whole boat.

“You’ll see in a moment. The professor gave us a specific kind of bait to draw our target out.”

Bait? Target? That made this whole thing sound even more (pardon the pun) fishy to Chariot, causing her to look around the boat for what could contribute as the bait. But there was nothing out of the ordinary. Croix, the oars, the magic rowing the oars, the old fish at the bottom of the boat, and Chariot. None of these things were going to be used as the bait… Right? Would Croix be sadistic enough to use herself or Chariot as the bait?!

The sigh of relief that came from Chariot was immense once Croix revealed a small, blue crystal from her pocket. It glowed, although it was hard to notice due to how bright it was. The afternoon sun loomed above them. Even though they were doing something as simple as fishing, the atmosphere felt like it could be cut with a knife. Croix enclosed the crystal within her fist and drew her hand back...

… Until she chucked the crystal into the lake. The boat was positioned perfectly in the middle of the lake, with silence reigning as the crystal sunk deeper and deeper into the lake. Its glow was easier to see through the surface of the water, Chariot’s eyes never leaving it. That is, until the glow disappeared completely. She didn’t even blink! Did it just sink too deep? Or maybe the magical energy within it ran out?

The calm surface of the lake suddenly broke as a large being broke through it, leaping into the air. Its scales reflected the full spectrum of colours when they were hit by the rays of the sun, the blue crystal stuck between its teeth as it tried to crush it by chomping them together over and over. Just as quickly as it had leaped out of the water it sunk back in, although it stuck to the surface this time, still trying to tear the crystal down.

Croix ruffled her nose and leaned back in her seat in the boat, arms folded. “Well, there it is. The Lockjawed Prismfish. They’re pretty rare, but a legend says that the Nine Olde Witches brought a few to this lake. Guess the rumor’s true, since one’s right there. The extra credit’s pretty simple.”

Croix fixed her glasses very casually while Chariot stared at the prismfish, her jaw dropping down to the bottom of the boat. “You just need to get one of the scales. That’s not too hard, is it?”

Chariot sputtered and spat at Croix’ words. Not too hard?! That thing was humongous and could probably eat the boat whole in a single bite! And she was on a limited timetable too, since the moment the crystal was crushed and consumed the prismfish would sink back into the depths of the lake, and she was sure that the professor wouldn’t give them another crystal to lure it out again. Those things had to be expensive!

She could cast Arae Aryrha and transform into something. But anything that could move quick on land would be useless due to water being the prismfish’s natural element, and if she turned into a hawk or another flying animal, it could just retreat underwater and make her assaults useless. She could try and transform into a fish, but she hadn’t bothered to train using anything related to water due to not seeing the use in it. If she turned into… Say, a shark, the prismfish would probably tear her apart the moment she got close!

And the crystal was almost crushed! She didn’t have time to think, she had to act on this very instant! Maybe she could use some form of magic to chip a scale off? Her first thought went to manipulating the water around the fish, so she drew her wand and waved it. Green magical energy sunk into the waves and towards the prismfish, a fist-like shape emerging from the water as it flew towards the fish’ side. If she could just chip one scale off with a clean hit, she’d be in the clear.

Crunch! The crystal between the prismfish’s teeth shattered, shards sinking down it’s throat as the fist clashed into its side. There was no reaction from the fish besides an annoyed glance, the watery fist clashing against its side repeatedly with no results. Chariot grit her teeth and kept casting the spell, more and more watery fists joining the barrage against the massive fish’s side. “Ora! Ora! Ora! C’mon!”

Yet, even with over ten watery fists, the barrage didn’t even seem to bother the fish. It quickly turned around and bit down upon the watery fists, causing them to dissipate back into the waves. Its eyes next focused on the rowboat, the annoyance still clear within them as it slowly began to make its way towards the boat. 

“Are you kidding me?! Why’s it coming over here!?” Chariot took a hold of her hat’s brims, pulling it down to cover her eyes, a loud screech of frustration leaving her. Croix cringed, a tinge of worry taking over her features.

“You annoyed it. Prismfishes are known to actively search out those who harm it.”

Chariot slowly pulled the hat up enough to reveal her eyes, which were now nailing right into Croix’ soul. “Why didn’t you tell me that?! That seems pretty important to me! I wouldn’t have been so careless if you told me that it was going to come after me!” 

Croix sighed and shook her head. “I was going to tell you and give you some tips on how you could chip a scale off, but you acted before I could say anything. I guess I’ll have to do something.”

Chariot fell quiet. She acted before Croix could guide her? She was being impatient again, wasn’t she. First her impatience led to her almost failing in class, and now it was leading to her ignoring the advice of her best friend. That was pretty scary, wasn’t it? She was so quick to act she didn’t even consider anything else besides her own ideas. She should’ve been more patient.  
Patient…

Suddenly, she remembered. Back when they first learned of the words, Croix had pointed out the fourth word to her. Mayenab Dysheebudo. “To see it through, patience is important.” To see her studies through with honour, patience is important. To see her and Croix restore the words, patience is important. To get this scale, and to make sure she was in no danger of getting expelled… Patience is important.

She didn’t even have to look to the shiny rod to know that the fourth gem was glowing now, her hand grabbing for it as she drew it out and held it into the air. She took a deep breath and bellowed out from the bottom of her lungs. “Mayenab Dysheebudo!”

A bright glow encompassed the staff and the boat by extension as it suddenly shifted within her hands, the top of the staff expanding rapidly into the form of a… Mixer?! How was this going to be useful in their current situation?! Just as she was about to curse out the staff and her bad luck, she remembered the very meaning of the words. Patience is important. Don’t discard the rod right away, and instead consider what It could do.

A mixer… It’d spin rapidly. Hmm. The prismfish drew closer to the boat. Maybe if she used it to… The prismfish was evercloser. Just as Croix was about to drew her wand out, Chariot suddenly slammed the shiny rod to the back of the boat, sinking the newfound mixer portion underwater. Her finger pressed down onto the fourth gem, causing the mixer portion to start spinning quickly. That motion propelled them forwards at incredibly speeds, turning the rowboat into a speedboat.

The surprise in the prismfish’s eyes was clear as the rowboat came closer and closer to it at incredible speeds, with Chariot and Croix barely holding on. It clashed against the fish’s front, sending it underwater with a loud screech. Even colliding with it didn’t slow them down as the rowboat just kept going and going, only stopping when they drove ashore at the other side of the lake.

“Uuugh…”

Chariot released the fourth gem from her iron grip, causing the shiny rod to transform back into its normal form. She fell down onto her back, barely holding back the incoming barf. “Are you okay, Croix?”

Croix’ groaning was the answer she needed, the older student sitting up and covering her mouth, glasses completely skewed from the joyride they just took. “Urp… Barely…”

Chariot was just about to apologize about the sudden increase in speed when she noticed that something was pressing against her back. She raised her brow and rose to sit, looking down to her laying spot. What she saw made her jaw drop… A scale that shone like a prism! Their collision with the prismfish must’ve made a scale chip off it. 

Chariot lifted it up and breathlessly motioned to Croix and to the scale, and then back to Croix. Croix fixed her glasses in an unimpressed manner and sighed, flicking her hair back. “Good job, Chariot… Let’s head back to Luna Nova to get your extra credits handed in.”

Chariot smiled and was just about to thank her senior, until.

“After you row back and get our hats back.”

And so, the second word of the seven was recovered. Mayenab Dysheebudo. Patience is important… Especially when you have to row all the way back to the middle of the lake to recover a few dinky hats!


	3. Phaidoari Afairynghor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making up a situation for this one was a little harder, as I felt like the first two chapters were somewhat action heavy. So, this one is a bit slower and filled with talk. Please, enjoy. (also, I know technically croix couldn't touch the staff since it denies her, but I went with the idea that since chariot's also touching it, it's fine.)

The moon shone down upon Luna Nova’s grounds silently, its shining rays paving the way for a red haired girl to quietly sneak around the hallways. Each of her steps were carefully calculated so that they’d make the smallest amount of noise possible whenever they touched the ground. While Luna Nova didn’t have exact curfews for the students, they were still expected to be asleep at certain hours. Call it an unspoken curfew. 

Of course, if there was no written rule for it, then it couldn’t be broken! That was the thought process that Chariot held when she read through the invitation Croix had slipped her between classes. “Come to my dorm room at midnight.”

A strange way to invite her, considering that her and Croix spent all day together. She hadn’t even mentioned the paper she slipped after classes were over! This had to be something super important and secretive, right? Maybe Croix had found out how to wake up another word! Or maybe she’d found something even more amazing… Something even bigger than the Grand Triskellion? 

Her answer would come soon enough, Chariot’s knuckle gently knocking against the wooden room of Croix’ dorm room. A few seconds passed until the sound of multiple locks clacking echoed from behind the wooden frame, the door creaking just enough for one eye to peek out. Once the eye confirmed that the one behind the door was Chariot, it opened completely to reveal Croix, in her student’s uniform.

“Come on.”

Just as quickly as the door was opened it was closed, now with both girls on the same side. Croix practically dragged Chariot with her as they went through the halls once more, with Chariot’s feet even dragging across the floor before she managed to register that they were already on the move.

“Wait a minute--- Where are we going? What about your roommates? Do they know that you’re going this late? Are you sure they won’t tattle on you?”

Croix didn’t stop to talk, instead talking while walking, her voice very matter-of-fact and dry. “We’re going to the New Moon Tower. I cast a spell that should keep my roommates asleep until classes start. They don’t know that I’m going out, so they won’t tattle on me. What about your own? I don’t think your year has been taught the sleep spell yet.”

At least Croix didn’t imply that she wasn’t smart enough to cast a spell that complex. Her friend had mellowed out a little, hadn’t she? “Well, um… My roommates really don’t care about what I do and don’t do. As long as I don’t bother them with stuff, they let me be. Heheheh.”

What were their names, again? Chariot had tried to make friends with them, but that hadn’t really panned out after the potions 101 incident about half a year back. She didn’t want to think about it for too long.

Croix cracked a little smile and chuckled. “That’s good. Makes things a lot easier for us, doesn’t it? Anyways… The reason we’re going to the New Moon Tower is simple. While the tower itself is considered abandoned and useless to current classes, my studies in the library have showed that it could possibly hold a secret room containing valuable information on magical circles.”

“Magical… Circles?” Chariot was unsure of why Croix was interested enough to arrange an excursion this late into the night, until a lightbulb lit up in her head. “Oh!! You’re writing a thesis on magical circles, aren’t you? I remember hearing some teachers talk about it when I passed their table during supper! So you’re looking for more material for your thesis.”

Croix let out an amused noise at Chariot’s words, nodding her head. She still hadn’t let go of Chariot’s arm, although she wasn’t dragging the other along anymore. “That’s correct. I could easily finish it without searching through the New Moon Tower, but an unearthed perspective could give it the cutting edge it deserves. I’m surprised you figured out my intents so fast, Chariot. You’ve grown smarter.”

“Geez. No need to make it sound that backhanded.” Chariot rubbed the back of her head, although her face felt a little warmer after the compliment. Even if Croix’ compliment was backhanded, just getting complimented by her meant that she was making some progress, right? Croix didn’t waste niceties towards people who didn’t deserve them. Although, the standards Croix had for “deserving” were pretty tight.

The rest of the way they walked in silence, through the halls and out into the somewhat warm early-summer night. Croix had released Chariot’s arm at some point, although she reconnected them by taking her hand subconsciously. Neither noticed or minded the fact, in fact, close contact made both feel calmer. Even if they were capable witches in their own rights, one armed with the shiny rod, the dark could still be a scary thing. Thank goodness for the moon lighting up their way.

Once they reached the tower’s entrance, Croix let go of Chariot’s hand and grabbed her wand, swinging it. The doors were pried open by a magical force, giving them the way inside. The tower had been abandoned for a while, leaving it dusty and full of old statues that might’ve served some other purpose besides decoration ages ago. But now, they were nothing more than remains of an age passed by.

“What do you think this tower was used for before it was abandoned…?” Chariot’s voice came out quietly, somewhat intimidated by just how huge the tower was. Her eyes were nailed onto Croix’ back as she followed her up a staircase, the other witch’s hands feeling the stone wall, trying to find /something/. A switch, or maybe some mechanism that’d open up the way to the rumoured secret room. If one even existed.

“I didn’t look that far into it. If I had to guess, it could’ve been a testing grounds for animation magic. At least, the statues look like they could easily be moved around through usage of it. A tower like structure would also allow for flight training, and the structure could hide secret rooms… The possibilities are truly endless.” A quiet sigh.

“But it doesn’t matter now. Time’s gone past this place, and now it’s almost useless to us. Once we find that secret room, there’ll be nothing of use left to this place.”  
To Chariot’s ears, Croix almost sounded sad over the fact. And in a way, it was very sad. A building this large had been left to rot without much use, and now they were here to rob even the last bits of it’s secrets for their own uses. Or not even theirs, but for Croix’ own uses. She respected her friend, but wasn’t this also very disrespectful towards the old building itself? Maybe she was just overthinking it.

“Why do you want to find that secret room…?” Pause. “Or, well, I know why, but. Why? I’m sure your thesis would already win a ton of recognition without the information this place holds. So why? I don’t think going the extra mile’s going to net you much…”

Croix stopped in her tracks and looked to Chariot. One of the tower’s windows allowed moonlight to shine in on them, allowing her to see just what Croix’ expression held. It was that of both determination and a forlorn… Nostalgia? Almost. She wasn’t sure why Croix could feel nostalgic for a place like this, though.

“You know, some would agree with you. At some point the input you put won’t increase the output. At some point the rewards for your efforts diminish until they’re negligible. At some point eating stops feeling good, at some point you just won’t learn more about a certain subject… That logic controls everything. But even so.”  
Croix fixes her glasses. "That which is dreamed cannot be grasped, but work towards it, day after day, and you will find it in your hands.”

Chariot listened and considered that sentence in the back of her head. That which is dreamed cannot be grasped, but work towards it, day after day, and you will find it in your hands. “You want to keep working towards your dream...?”

Croix’ expression of determination only grew. “Yes. I want to do something great some day, Chariot. And if I stop putting effort into things, I won’t be able to reach that dream of doing something great for this world. This thesis is just one example. If I don’t work it to its finest edge, I shouldn’t even be making it in the first place.”

Croix’ determination drove Chariot to silence. Always put in your full effort, or put none in at all, huh? She hadn’t really lived by that philosophy up till now, had she? What did she want? What did she dream about? She dreamed of a world where people were happy. A world where she could use her magic to entertain and help people. But how much was she working towards that goal? She wasn’t putting her full effort into it, that’s for sure.

"That which is dreamed cannot be grasped, but work towards it, day after day, and you will find it in your hands…” Chariot repeated the words, locking eyes with Croix, who in turn flashed a genuine, warm smile.

“Phaidoari Afairynghor.” 

“Phaidoari Afairynghor.”

Both girls repeated the second word in unison, the second gem on the shiny rod glowing with a yellow hue as Chariot withdrew it and held it out. Her grasp was joined by Croix’ as both held the rod, watching it meld and transform just like it had done at the lake. This time the form it took was a much simpler one, that of an axe or a halberd. Chariot was not exactly sure.

They found it in their hands. Croix let go of the rod, allowing Chariot to grasp it within both of her hands, eyes closed as she simply listened. The whole tower was filled with silence, but it was tangible. The energy of the rod radiated within her palms as she suddenly swung, letting it crash into a nearby wall by complete chance. The power of the strike shattered it easily, causing pieces of the wall to fly out. Thankfully, the hole wasn’t big enough to compromise the structural integrity of the tower.

When her eyes opened, the shiny rod had turned back into its original form, with Croix at the hole, peeking inside and investigating. She stepped inside soon after, a hand held out to invite Chariot to join her. She took it and slid inside, looking around.

Maybe it had been her determination, the magical power of the rod or her belief in Croix, something had led her to strike the wall that hid the secret room. It was dusty and full of cobwebs, along with bookshelves filled to the brim with ancient tomes and scrolls. Croix had already gone to open one, eyeing it carefully, while Chariot leaned against the wall and sighed.

Could she ever be like Croix? No, maybe not. She could never have the determination her best friend held within her, and she could never be as intelligent as her best friend could be. But she’d learned to accept that she should only compare herself to her previous achievements instead of other’s achievements.

She could never be a student on her level either, but that was okay too. As long as she took things patiently and worked towards them at her own pace, she could at least be proud of her own achievements. That’d be enough for Chariot.

And she could surely reach her dreams, too. Through both the hard work she’d put into it, as well as the help of her best friend. Croix had been such a huge help thus far, even when Chariot had robbed her of her destiny by receiving the shiny rod in her stead.

Sometimes she was afraid of her friend’s hatred. Did she hate her for it? 

“Hey, Chariot. Come and look at this. It’s exactly what I need.”

Chariot smiled to herself and fixed her hat, quickly stepping over to stare over Croix’ shoulder. While she couldn’t know for sure, as her cheek pressed against the other’s, she could at least assess her own guess on the matter…

Croix didn’t hate her. And she’d work hard to make sure that they’d stay best friends. Forever.


	4. Sybilladura Lelladybura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one I felt like gets better at the end compared to the beginning. I decided to make fun with some of the background lore and elements presented us, especially with things like Luna Nova Cup, so that's where the premise for this chapter came from. Although I feel like the awakening of the word this chapter was a little forced... Still! Please, enjoy.

After finding the secret room in the New Moon Tower, Chariot and Croix had spent some time on the down low, both for their own reasons. Croix had to record all the findings from the room, and Chariot had to prepare for the Luna Nova Cup. A broom racing competition where teams of three raced across a relay system, with the goal being to deliver a baton to the goal.

Chariot had already managed to arrange a team for herself, striking up a quick deal with her roommates. While the two of them didn’t have big expectations for their team, Chariot had decided that she’d go and win this competition! Not because she thought it was especially important, but because Croix had competed and won a year prior.

She wasn’t sure what about Croix’ own victory years prior drove her to take action. Was it a wish to show her friend that she could be just as capable? Did she wish to try and one-up her? Or was she looking for approval? Or did she just… Want to compete, for her sake? She’d heard what some people said about Croix hanging out with a “problem student” like Chariot. Her friend never showed that she minded.

But Chariot knew that Croix minded just a little. By winning the cup, Chariot could prove to the others that she wasn’t some problem student. Maybe they’d stop talking bad about Croix due to it too. That’d be perfect. 

So, she trained and trained. She spent the weeks prior to the cup training her broom riding, studying up on articles written by pros and old instruction booklets written in the 19th century by the best aces in Britain. Combining both a modern and old perspective worked in creating herself a good riding style. She didn’t let herself rest, though. Every time she set for herself she set out to break the next lap. 

And through that time spent training, she hadn’t heard a peep from Croix. Of course, she saw the other witch in the halls between classes, and they might’ve occasionally exchanged some words when they met, but they were both far too busy with their own problems to truly mingle.

She missed her. That was a striking revelation to have at 3 AM on the day of the cup, but that’s what struck Chariot the most as she laid on her bed, staring up to the roof of her room. It was made of fine wood, and she was sure she could smell all the magic cast in this very room through the ages if she lifted herself up to take a sniff.

She wondered if Croix missed her too. She hadn’t tried to reach out to her, at least… Then again, neither had Chariot. What if Croix thought that Chariot had grown tired of her?! After all, Chariot was the one waking up the words, so maybe Croix thought this period of ignorance was a way to tell her that she wasn’t needed anymore.

The thought depressed her immensely, but her optimism shone through in the end. Croix wouldn’t let something like that slide off so easily. She could hold a grudge if she wanted to, so she’d just come and punch Chariot in the face if she really made her mad. Right? Right. With that thought, she closed her eyes.

And with that thought in mind she awoke four hours later, springing up so quickly she almost dropped out of her bed the very moment she tried to get up, only barely scrambling up to get her clothes on. Chariot rushed through the hallways as if a hot fire had burst on her robes, pushing past a few students on her way to the other wing of the dorms.

She came to a skidding halt in front of Croix’ dorm room, swinging the door open… Only to find nothing. Her roommates weren’t present, and neither was Croix, a simple “away for business” sign scribbled onto the door, signed by all three occupants of the dorm room. She stared at the empty room in silence, wondering why it was unlocked before then closing the door, staring down at the floor.

Maybe she really did have some important business? Could very well be, since her thesis was almost finished the last she heard. She was probably locked away somewhere finishing it, or maybe she was out with her roommates. She had other friends besides Chariot, right? She had time for other people besides her.

Those thoughts plagued Chariot’s mind for the rest of the day, even until the Cup’s starting point. Her roommates had agreed a setup where Chariot would handle the final stretch. After all, she’d been the one to put the most effort into training, and she was easily the fastest of the team. Her speed would be a necessity at the end.

She hadn’t given it much thought, simply nodding along to their ideas before then heading for the final relay point, seating herself on the edge. She’d have about 20 minutes to herself before she had to get ready to receive her baton, so she spent these moments deep in thought. Thinking about Croix, mostly. She ignored all the noises around her. The sound of the other competitors discussing, the sound of the somewhat-bored sounding announcer, the sound of her own breathing, the sound of Croix repeating her name over and over…

Wait, Croix repeating her name over and over?! Chariot’s head perked to stare around for the source of the noise, having to lean back a bit. A few receivers over, about four, a familiar voice called out for her in that casual, somewhat smug tone. “… Chariot? Chariot. Hey, du Nord.”

Chariot almost hopped out of her station, but barely kept herself together as she instead stood and rushed as close as she could without leaving her station, which encompassed about three steps forwards. To her, those three steps felt like traveling through three continents, eyes nailed on Croix and that smile of hers.

“C-Croix?! Why’re you here?! Didn’t you compete and win last year?! I thought you were doing your thesis! I’m so sorry for not talking to you, I was so busy training for the cup that I just never found the time and I thought that you were busy too so I never reached out to you besides those few times we talked in the halls and I thought you were getting mad at me because you didn’t approach me but also I felt selfish for thinking that when you’ve been so good to me and I just felt so so so bad and I missed you so much and I’m so sorrrryyyyyyyyy”

Chariot fell into a state of quick rambling and blubbering way faster than she would’ve thought, the distant sound of the announcer announcing that the first checkpoint had been reached. So, they’d have about 10 more minutes. Had she spent such a long time just sitting in thought? 

Croix looked a little overwhelmed by the other’s sudden burst of emotion, coughing in an embarrassed manner while looking from side to side, trying to avoid the glances of the other competitors. When she found no other escape she took solace in Chariot’s eyes, focusing on them while fixing her glasses, the shine hiding her pupils from sight, making her expression much harder to read as a result.

“… You’re such a dramatic person, Chariot. I’ve just been busy with both the thesis and training for this competition. I don’t hate you. In fact, I…”  
An embarrassed cough is the only hint that Croix is in fact embarrassed about the fact.

“… Did miss you, somewhat. I had a hard time sleeping last time due to it, but I saw this as the wisest course of action. Dedicate yourself to what you do 100% or don’t do it at all.”

Chariot nodded her head, wiping away the few tears her sobbing had brought to her eyes. That’s true. It’s one of the lessons she holds the closest to her heart, mostly because Croix was the one to really drive the point home for her. One question plagued her mind, though. And she had the time to ask.

“Okay, but… Why’re you here? You won once already, right? I didn’t take you for the type who’d take part in the competition again. Not that there’s any rules against it! I’m just wondering.”

Her question made Croix’ expression change quite noticeably, watching it droop from embarrassment into a sadder smile, as her senior tried to collect herself, leaning against her broom in thought. Croix clearly tasted the words in her mouth for what felt like years before spewing them out, clearly not all too happy about how she worded herself.

“I just want to be able to beat you once.”

Chariot’s eyes grew wide, but Croix continued to speak. “I want to beat you once, you know. Sure, I’ve had better grades, but you’ve done more than I have lately. What’s one thesis to awakening three Words, defeating challenges along the way, and being chosen to awaken the Grand Triskellion?”

Her voice sounded so spiteful. Not towards Chariot in specific, but towards Croix herself. As if she despised herself for the cards fate had dealt to her. Chariot wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find the right words in time.

“So I want to show to myself that I can beat you. That, on a basic level, I’m the better witch between us two.”

She swings her broom into a ready position. According to the announcer’s bored tone the second swap was going to happen any second now, with Croix already ready to hop off in preparation. “It’s nothing personal, Chariot. I just… Want to show myself that I shouldn’t be doubting myself. You know how that feels, doesn’t it? So, I’m repeating history and winning again.”

History repeating. Chariot could see why Croix was feeling like this. It must’ve felt horrible to see yourself get overshadowed by someone many consider your inferior, even if it’s only you who knows that you’re getting overshadowed. Is this why she wanted that extra edge for her thesis too? How long had Croix felt like this? Her stomach hurt.

“I’m sorry.”

When traditional and modern powers mingle, the gate to an unseen world will open. She’d still win, but she’d also let history repeat itself. That sounded insane and self-contradictory, but a plan brewed deep within the back of her mind, materializing itself in the glow of the fifth gem on the shiny rod.

“But it won’t end like that.”

The final swap begun with batons being traded. Croix’ baton was the first to come in, then another, and then third Chariot’s. She took the baton and threw the shiny rod into the air, bellowing the words that fleshed in her mind from the very bottom of her throat… No, her heart.  
  
“SYBILLADURA LELLADYBURA!”

The fifth gem’s shine engulfed the shiny rod as Chariot jumped after the rod, pure instinct guiding her through the process. She watched the rod meld itself into a broom beneath her, barely landing onto it with her two feet as she set off, surfing on the broom in a style that she hadn’t prepared herself for at all. All of her studies so far, both from the 19th century aces and modern fliers flew out the window as she embraced her own style.

She quickly passed the second to leave, but Croix was a whole different story. Her friend was an expert flier, coordinating herself well on a broom, her posture magnificent and in top form as she didn’t even bother to look behind her. Smart. Seeing how close her competition was could’ve disoriented her. 

But Chariot catching up was inevitable with the shiny rod’s power. The two competitors and friends kept neck to neck for a long while, Chariot’s surfing style earning high praise from the announcer, who for once sounded actually excited about the competition. Croix seemed to ignore it all, her expression of hard steel as the finish line came into sight.

Chariot closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When traditional and modern powers mingle, the gate to an unseen world will open. That thought propelled her into a final rush, barely breaking past Croix and through the finish line, hopping off the shiny rod and skidding across the ground a few feet before then catching the rod, panting heavily. 

The following events were like a picture blur within her mind. Croix reached second. Words were traded. The announcer was shouting, as was the crowd, and the third competitor came in third, and the fourth, and… All she remembered clearly was the spite. The spite in those eyes she had grown to enjoy looking at. Not at Chariot, but at herself.

And then the trophy was thrust within her hands by the announcer, raising her hands up into the air. “And the winner of this year’s Luna Nova Cup is… Chariot du Nord, from France! A first year! Everyone, give her a cheer!”

The blaring cheers of the audience almost burst her eardrums, but Chariot didn’t pay them mind. Her eyes desperately looked for that one pair she wanted to gaze into, finally finding it in the crowd, sitting solemnly and watching her. Chariot waited for the formalities to commence, her team lined up and facing the camera, the crowd behind it. She took a calm breath, eyes opening wide as she thrust her hand out, pointing the trophy towards the one who should’ve won.

“I’d like to dedicate this victory to Croix Meridies!” 

Snap, the picture was taken, her dedication recorded voicelessly for the future students to gaze upon. Yet, she continued. “Croix Meridies, who believed in me! The Croix Meridies who didn’t think I was a problem child! The Croix Meridies who I owe so much to! I owe this cup to CROIX MERIDIES, WHO IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME!”

Chariot felt the tears within her eyes swell, unable to look at Croix as she took a deep breath. The crowd kept cheering, some probably even unaware of her confession. But she knew that Croix had heard. After all, the moment her eyes cleared up, Croix was gone from her spot in the audience.

And Chariot wouldn’t see her until the following night.


	5. Lyonne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a direct continuation to chapter 4. The end felt like a very continuous chain of events, although chapter 6 is a little more disconnected. It's another "breather" sort of chapter, please enjoy.

Celebrating the Luna Nova Cup was common, although the way it was celebrated changed each year. Sometimes there’d be fireworks, other times traditional dance, and some years held no special celebration besides giving the students the permission to go out for the day. This year, the cup would be celebrated by some fireworks.

Chariot had denied the invitation to dine with the teachers during the show. Nothing good would’ve come out of it anyways, what with her still middling grades and the fact that a good portion of the teachers disliked her somewhat. They’d ask questions about Croix too, for sure, and where she got her new broom. Too many things she didn’t want to talk about or explain to anyone.

No-one had seen Croix after the competition. Everywhere she asked they gave the same answer: they don’t know. Her roommates didn’t know, her teachers for the day didn’t know, the staff didn’t know, other students didn’t know. She wasn’t at the New Moon Tower, she wasn’t at her dorm room, she wasn’t at the canteen… It’s as if Croix had just totally disappeared from the face of the earth.

The hopelessness really set in when Chariot reached her dorm room, throwing herself to rest on her bunk, the trophy set down into a corner table where she didn’t have to look at it. If Croix wasn’t on the academy grounds, then where was she? She couldn’t have disappeared, could she? If she left, Chariot wasn’t sure if she could forgive herself. What was she even doing? She should’ve realized that this victory was incredibly important to Croix.

Did she hate her now? Somehow, she felt like the answer was yes. She shouldn’t be thinking of such things, since it’d just drop her mood even more, but that was the hard truth she just had to swallow without any regrets. Accepting it would make things much easier. Chariot du Nord had ruined something so important through her wish to win. And she had just wanted to win to impress Croix. To show her that she was growing and learning from her.

That whole dedication was childish too, wasn’t it? Of course other people must’ve dedicated their victories to other people, but not during the award ceremony. She’d just embarrassed herself /and/ Croix at the same time. She could’ve dealt with embarrassment by herself, but she knew that Croix couldn’t. She just felt like the kind of person who couldn’t deal with emotions like that in the best ways. She’d really messed up.

Her slow fall into more and more depressive thoughts was only broken by the sound of a knock against her window, the gentle sound driving her to sit up, head tilt. “Huh.” Chariot bounced up and carefully arrived to the window, opening the hatch and staring at the outsider.

“Hey. I couldn’t find anything good from the town, so I just ended up buying us some baguettes. Come to the rooftop.”

Croix’ voice made something shatter inside of Chariot, hands trembling as she stared at the other witch casually sitting on her broom, baguettes in hand. Had she been out in town this whole time?! Well, that was a definite possibility… She had just never considered it. Croix didn’t go out that often, and those rare few times she did she usually went with Chariot. Of course, duh. Why hadn’t she even thought about checking the town.

“Are you coming or what? You look like you’re seeing a ghost. The show’s about to start.”

Before Chariot could answer or do anything besides hold back the sobs of relief she was about to unleash, Croix ascended with her broom, presumably onto the roof. Chariot grabbed her broom and practically leaped out the window to follow after her, only barely keeping her balance on the broom. She caught up to the other in no time flat, quickly hopping down to sit next to her on the roof.

The first baguette is cracked in two, one half handed to Chariot while the other is left with Croix. She lifts it up to her mouth and takes a bite, chewing and taking in the taste. It’s a bit dry, and it’s a shame they don’t have anything to drink with it, but it still has a very home-like taste.

“I tried to get us something to drink too, but all I could find was stuff like wine or some juices… The whole town was out of milk! Can you imagine that?”

Croix tone sounded so casual now, as if today hadn’t happened at all. It confused Chariot to no end, although she managed to harbor a giggle at the thought of the whole town being out of milk. “That’s pretty weird, yeah…”

The first firework suddenly broke their conversation apart as it launched into the air and exploded into an array of bright red and blue colours, spreading shapes into the air like an artist dancing along a canvas, the sky lighting up with absolute joy. Magical firework shows were always the best, Chariot’s sense of wonder and joy exclaimed by her gasps, almost choking on a piece of baguette during it. Croix didn’t sound as impressed, but she was still obviously captivated.

There was a small break before the next volley, so Chariot decided to ask now. Better earlier than never-ier. “… Aren’t you mad?”

Croix leaned back and chomped off a big portion of her slice of the baguette, teeth quickly shredding it, followed by a loud gulp as she swallowed it all. That feat in itself was pretty damn impressive considering the sheer size of the portion she swallowed. 

“Mad about what? You won fair and square, using the power of the shiny rod. You just happened to prove that you’re better than me.”

Her voice sounded so normal it was almost haunting to Chariot, teeth nervously nibbling against the bits of her baguette.

“J-Just because I was chosen doesn’t mean that you’re worse t-than me, you know…? You still get better grades, and…”

Chariot’s voice broke apart into silence while another firework launched into the air, this time a blossom of greens and yellows spread it’s light around the whole academy grounds, followed by a short barrage of smaller, red flowers that etched themselves into the airspace before then slowly fading away into nothingness.

“You don’t sound so sure about that. But I’m already over the fact. I should’ve been over it the moment the rod chose you, truth be told. I’ve always been so… Blinded by your brilliance. That blindness led me to overestimating my own abilities in some foolish attempt to make myself feel better.”

Blinded by HER brilliance? Chariot was brilliant to Croix? She felt that warmth all over her face, nervously chuckling as she lifted a hand to wave it dismissively, looking to the side. “Me? Brilliant? C’mon, Croix… Making jokes like this aren’t usually in your style.”

Another firework explodes as Chariot looks back to Croix, that warmth still occupying her cheeks while the red and orange lights of the fireworks light up the night, letting her see Croix’ face so clearly now. She looks a little red as well, although it’s probably due to the light of the fireworks reflecting against her face and her glasses.

“I’m not joking.”

Her voice comes through the loud crackling of the fireworks, causing a tinge to stab itself into Chariot’s chest. Some tears swell within her eyes. “Blinded b-by… Me? I… You know, I’m only… You’re…”

Croix continued, removing her glasses for a second to truly see eye to eye with her companion, swiping her hair to the side. “Chariot du Nord. You’ve truly blinded me with your brilliance. And I suppose you’ve also made me somewhat envious. And that blindness and envy might’ve driven me to try and exceed my boundaries.”

 

“No!”

Chariot’s voice rung out and cut out Croix completely, tears staining her cheeks. “You’ve driven me so far, Croix! Without you, I wouldn’t even have the shiny rod! You’re the one who’s driving me forwards the most, you’re the one at my side driving me to awaken the words! Without you, I wouldn’t know about patience… W-Without you, I’d still just be that Chariot with the bad grades, and, and… I’m still nothing compared to you, b-but… We shouldn’t be comparing ourselves. We should be comparing ourselves to our own best and w-worst moments.”

Croix appeared a little shocked, glasses sliding back into their previous position. Was it the warm summer air that shook Croix, or something else? She wasn’t the type to cry, yet she could feel something swell within her. It felt very much like a warmth from the very bottom of her chest.

“After this all is done… After we awaken all the seven words and unlock the Grand Triskellion, we’ll. I’ll make this all up to you, alright? I’ll make up to you all the things you’ve had to go through due to not receiving the shiny rod. And I promise. I’ll always be with you until I make it up to you. I won’t leave you until I do.”

Croix’ body trembled, along with her whole voice. “Chariot, you… Don’t have to do that. You’re being stupid like always, and dramatic to boot.”

“I guess all I want to say is just…” The sixth gem of the shiny rod gained a yellow glow, but Chariot paid no mind. To hell with the shiny rod. Its importance might’ve been great, but there were a few things more important to her than that. Those few things included the person sitting in front of her. The person she was leaning towards, hands steadily wrapping around her, head on her shoulders.

“Thank you, Croix. For being with me.”

The glow of the gem practically exploded out from it to surround the pair, although it didn’t do much. Both could feel it’s healing effects, yet there was nothing to mend or heal. After all, they’d done much of the healing themselves, at this very moment, Croix whole body leaning against the other’s as she let it all out.

All of that spite and anger towards herself, and towards her friend, left through her tears. It flowed out like a waterfall of negativity and frustration, with nothing besides the other’s shoulder to support and absorb it, the sound of distant fireworks crackling working as the choir of their closeness. 

Chariot had thanked Croix before. Multiple times, in fact, but she’d never thanked her properly for the greatest gift Croix had given her: her company and trust. Now that she had thanked the other, while being so close to her… She felt freed of so many doubts. She doubted that a single time like this could erase all the harm her tenure with the shiny rod had caused to Croix, but she knew deep within that if they just held each other like this for a little longer a little more often, things would be okay.

They kept holding each other through the night, watching the fireworks. Even after the show was over, they kept close to each other, eating their second baguette. They spent time laughing and in silence, they spent their time discussing what they’d done during the few weeks they hadn’t been able to see each other, Croix quickly gave Chariot the basics of her thesis, and Chariot told Croix about all the techniques she had studied in preparation for the cup.

When the sun began to rise in the distance, the two finally accepted the reality that they’d have to separate for the night. While the next day was a day off from school, the two still found something solemn about separating from each other and hopping onto their brooms.

“… I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Croix fixed her hat and straightened out her glasses, head nodding down quickly. “Of course. I’m not letting you go after that promise.”

Chariot cracked a grin and nodded in turn, waving her hand before descending down and in through her window. Her roommates had already arrived, soundly asleep as Chariot landed onto the floor and quietly dressed down and placed her broom into the corner, tugging herself in. Finally her eyes landed on the trophy she had won, staring at it long and hard before smiling calmly.

“Thank you, Croix…”

With those words, and the thoughts of her in her mind, Chariot fell into a sound sleep.


	6. Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nearing the end. Another word I had a hard time reviving in a way I wanted, but I feel proud of it in the end. I hope you will enjoy.

After the Luna Nova Cup and the fireworks, things had returned to the norm for a while. Croix and Chariot studied and hung out like normal, with classes coming and going, along with exams and grades. While her grades were still abysmal, Chariot was glad to notice a little improvement in them compared to how she was performing earlier. Slow improvement was better than nothing, after all.

Croix’ thesis had attracted an immense amount of praise once it was published, even earning her the Jennifer award. Chariot was glad for that. Even if Croix had assured her that she’d be moving away from comparing herself to Chariot, sometimes she felt as if the other could never fully get over her envy. But she shouldn’t be always fearing the worst.

Her eyes landed to the first gem on the shiny rod. Five others had awakened, leaving the first and the last in the sequence hollow and without the yellow shine. The last one… She could ponder upon it later. Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor. Strive for your ideal place. This one she remembered on her own.

She knew that she had to experience that need for it to manifest sufficiently, but she still sunk into deep thought. What /was/ her ideal place? Where did she want to be now, or in the future? She hadn’t thought about it much. Waking up the words was her current goal, along with graduating from Luna Nova, but those weren’t “places”, were they? 

She wanted to entertain people with her magic. Make people feel happy about their place in the world through its usage. That much she was certain of as well, but she had no idea how she’d reach that goal. Would her ideal place be a stage, then? Or an audition for some magic show? No, that wouldn’t make sense. Strive for your ideal place… What did she want to reach for?

Her thoughts trailed to Croix. Where did she want to be? What was the ideal place for Croix? Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know a lot about what Croix wanted to do with herself after they managed to unseal the Grand Triskellion. She’d never talked about it, and Chariot had never thought to ask. 

Now was as good a time as any to go and ask! It was a Sunday, so there were no classes to go to. Chariot hummed as she trailed through the hallways and to Croix’ dorm room, although from there her roommates directed her to the New Moon Tower. Croix had begun to spend more and more time recently, possibly due to the secret room they had found. Did Croix ever share her info about it to the teachers? Chariot hadn’t tattled about it yet.

Her head peeked through the main entrance of the tower, looking around for Croix. No sight of her near the entrance, so she had to be at the secret room up ahead. Chariot quickly hopped onto her broom and flew ahead, the tower’s massive size giving her much freedom to move around in the air. This tower /had/ to have been used for flight training before it was abandoned.

Her guesstimate had been right, with Croix leaning over a table and examining something very closely. Chariot quietly floated over on her broom and didn’t say a word, leaning closer and closer towards Croix until their cheeks pressed together, earning a jumpy response from Croix, quickly sidestepping away. “Gah-“

“Hehheeee.”

Chariot grinned and hopped off of her broom, wagging a finger at Croix. “What’s this? Scared of me, are you? I thought a grand witch like you would be on her toes.”

Croix actually looked embarrassed, so Chariot counted this as a victory. It was so rare to see Croix out of her element, but she was seeing more and more of that side. It made her feel somewhat happy and privileged. Was she the only one at this school who was able to see Croix as something else besides a honours student? No, probably not. She shouldn’t be thinking of it like that.

“Tch. Why’re you here? Just here to see me? I don’t mind, but you should be using your day off to study. I don’t want to cover for you again.”

Croix flashed a cocky smile, jabbing right where it hurt. Chariot cringed and bowed her head, chuckling nervously. “Haha, let’s not… Talk about that! I was just thinking about something and wanted to hear your thoughts, that’s all.”

“My thoughts?” Croix folded her arms, curiosity filling her expression as she grabbed one of the ancient seats, carefully seating herself down. “Alright, then. I can spare time for you. What’s the matter?”

She always sounds so formal. Chariot sat herself up on the old table Croix had been leaning over, crossing her legs before then collecting her thoughts. How to ask this? Well, maybe just going in for the simple kill would be the best. It’s not like this question was going to be very awkward or personal.  
“What’s your ideal place? What do you want to do after this is all over?”

Croix’ fluttered her eyebrows in surprise. “That question is… Well. I wasn’t expecting you to ever ask, you know. You’re a good person, but pretty airheaded all things considered.”

Croix’ giggle revealed that her intent wasn’t malicious, with Chariot’s pout just supporting her words even more. “It just… Never crossed my mind! You seem like the type who’d have their future planned as some grand witch, right?! But today I begun to think about what I want to do and where I want to be, and well..”

“Your thoughts trailed to me. I see.” Croix let her hand rest against chin, that amused smile still there. “I suppose I should be honoured that I’m occupying your thoughts. But, to answer your question.”

Croix swiped her hair to the side and shrugged. “I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll keep up my research and start writing more theses. It’s gained me some recognition. Although, a thought that’s recently buzzed around my mind has been pursuing further education.”

Her tongue clicks against the roof of her mouth. “I’d like to teach here one day. I’m not sure what, exactly. My thesis on magical circles led me to researching modern usages of magic, and that seems like an interesting field… But I’m not sure yet. It’s a thought, though. And what do you want to do? What is your ideal? Do you still want to entertain, or are you growing up?”

Growing up? That made Chariot ruffle her nose in annoyance. “What’s so childish about wanting to entertain people, Croix? Making people happy?”  
Croix sighed.

“Nothing in particular. But magic’s a powerful tool. I thought you’d have learned that by now, with five whole words under your belt. It shouldn’t be used just to entertain people. Magic can improve our lives significantly, but to just limit it to a scale such as that… Mmph. I don’t really see the passion you have for it. Are you going to use the shiny rod for some parlor tricks, or to change the world?”

Chariot took the rot and held it in her hands, eyes dancing between the five awakened gems and their yellow glow. Arae Aryrha, Mayenab Dyshebuudo, Phaidoari Afairynghor, Sybilladura Lelladybura and Lyonne, in the order she had awakened them. The power they held was amazing, each filled to the brim with potential.

“Well, no- I wasn’t planning on using the shiny rod for just something like that! But you can’t expect everything to be world changing, Croix. Sometimes you need to do smaller things to give the smaller people hope, and-“

Croix snorted. 

“Do you remember, Chariot? Do everything 100% or don’t do it at all. That’s the philosophy I taught you some time ago. With the shiny rod, unsealing the Grand Triskellion and reshaping the world is the 100%. Anything else would be doing nothing at all.”

Was she insulting Chariot? Croix didn’t hold any spite within her voice, but the words felt so oddly personal. Or was it just Chariot taking her words as a personal insult? Getting criticized by her hurt. Chariot managed a nervous laugh. 

“Well, let’s just say our views differ and leave it at that, right? But, back on topic… You being a teacher could pan out! I’d see it! You’d probably be a favourite among the students with your work ethic.”

Croix didn’t chase after their earlier topic and followed the flow, chuckling to herself at Chariot’s words. But, Chariot was being honest. If Croix was her teacher, she’d admire her even more than she did now. And she’d probably rock the role harder than she did the role of a student.

“No need to flatter me. You know, I think you’d make for a good teacher too. The students would love your lax attitude, at least. And they’d get to feel smart in class by constantly upping you and proving you wrong.”

Chariot could feel her blood pressure rising while staring at that smug as hell smirk Croix was sporting, almost tempted to raise the shiny rod and bonk her over the head with it, just barely keeping her cool through a sigh and a shake of her head.

“I don’t see any way I’d end up as a teacher… I just know a job like that wouldn’t fit me. Partially because you’re right about the students one upping me thing, ha. But if we end up as teachers, I’d like to think we’d work pretty darn well together.”

Croix leaned forwards in her seat and grinned. “You think we’d work at the same school? Well, I know we could both land jobs here if we just proved that we’re alumni.”  
Chariot wrinkled her nose and nodded, changing her position on the table. “Yeah, yeah, that’s true. But aren’t you thinking this a bit far? Who knows if they’ll even need teachers here once we unlock the Grand Triskellion.”

“You mean when /you/ unlock it.”

Ah, that spite. Chariot reeled back and chuckled a little nervously. “Yeah, but you get what I mean, don’t you? There’ll be more than enough magic in the world then, so there’ll be more teachers too.”

“Maybe so.” Croix shrugged and moved on.

And so, silence fell between the two. It wasn’t an awkward one, but both felt as if the topic at hand had been discussed pretty thoroughly. Chariot contemplated leaving and inviting the other with her to eat, eyes resting on the shiny rod. Until she began to think. Strive for your ideal place… What did she want to reach for?

Her eyes slowly landed onto Croix. What had she strived for? What had guided her actions so far? Croix. Croix had guided her this far. Awakening the seven words and unsealing the Grand Triskellion were her goals, but what made her strive for that goal? Croix had. Wanting to prove to Croix that she was worthy of the shiny rod. Proving to her that it’d all be okay.

So maybe she had to look at it from a different angle. The ideal place she truly strived for… Was next to Croix. To be with her, and to earn her true approval. To see that spite she still sometimes laced her words with completely melt away, and to stand on truly equal grounds with her, where they could look each other eye to eye.  
She wanted that. And that was her ideal, her Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor. She grasped the shiny rod, fist hiding the glow of the first gem as she then grasped for Croix’ hand, dragging her off the chair and outside. 

“Huh? What’re you- Hey! Chariot-!”

There was no stopping her. She was like a racing car, quickly circling down the countless amount of stairs with Croix in tow, hopping down and around corners, out the tower and through the yard of the school, with Croix almost tripping countless times while being dragged after her. They only stopped once they reached a large, open area with only fields of green grass surrounding them, the academy still visible in the distance.

“What’s your deal?!”

Croix rested her hands against her knees and panted, staring at Chariot with angry confusion in her eyes. But Chariot didn’t mind, grinning to herself like an idiot as she took a steady hold of the shiny rod.

“Noctu Orfei Aude Fraetor!”

The shiny rod’s glow engulfed it and her, shaping and melding in her hands until she felt a distinct bow-shape within her hands. Once more something deep within her subconscious guided her as she drew her hand back, an arrow forming within her hand from thin air. She knocked it into the bow and drew, taking aim before shooting. The arrow swirls through the air for a while before exploding into a fireworks show of magic.

“My ideal place! I realized where I want to be, and what I should be striving forwards!” 

She panted and stared at Croix like a madwoman, dropping the bow (which turned back into the shiny rod mid-drop) before then crawling over to her, sitting opposite of the confused looking girl.

“… And? What are you striving towards?”

Chariot kept that grin as she leaned closer to the other. Croix tried to lean away out of instinct, but she was far too slow, leading to their faces being only barely separated. 

“You! You’re that ideal I’m striving for. Sure, I want to awaken the seven words and unseal the Grand Triskellion, but that’s not my ultimate goal. You are! Being with you even after finishing school is. Just… Being. With you.”

Her speech lost some of it’s luster as she realizes what she’s exactly saying, face burning intensely from embarrassment. Croix takes a while to register her words, but her face flares up just as much as Chariot’s did once she realizes just how big of a, well. Confession, this is.

“I… I see. Well, I. Hm. That’s… An ideal. You have there.”

Chariot felt her whole being deflate like a popped air balloon, falling down onto her side and from there her back, laying down next to the sitting Croix as she covered her face, letting out a sound that could be taken as the one a cat makes when it gets a boot thrown at it. 

“It’s not a bad one. I think I… Somewhat share the sentiment, Chariot.”

The thump of a back falling against the grass fills Chariot’s ears as she uncovers her face, staring to her side. Croix is laying there, staring into the sky, seemingly smiling. It’s a bit hard to tell from the angle Chariot is looking at her from, but that’s the impression she gets from the other’s voice and her words.

“I’d like for you to stay by my side even after we’ve revived the seven words. And after graduation. Call it a little silly of me… But I think I’ve grown used to your antics. And your brilliance still has me oh-so blinded.”

Her chuckling felt like honey to Chariot’s ears, and she joined in on her laughter. “… Hey, could we stay like this for a while?”  
Croix smacked her lips together. “I’m not opposed.”

“Good.”

She wished they could stay like this forever. Next to each other, free of spite and envy, of comparison and impatience, of responsibilities and the future. Just the two of them together on a field of grass, truly talking to each other without any sorts of worries. She could say whatever she wanted to Croix, and Croix could say whatever she wanted to Chariot. Sharing their dreams and fears…

Maybe they could. That’d be nice. She’d strive for this ideal place, with Croix.


	7. And then we stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the epilogue. Please enjoy.

Ursula Callistis paced about her room in a worried manner, occasionally checking out the window to determine the passage of time. The moon wasn’t that high yet, so it wouldn’t be midnight for a while. There was still some time before Akko would come for her scheduled metamorphosis tutoring session.

Waiting always gave her some form of anxiety, a loud sigh escaping from her lips as Ursula sat herself down on her chair, spinning around it for a while, until the chair stopped. She was now facing the old tapestry. The seven words… Akko had already managed to awaken one. She’d probably do a much better job than she did.

After the sixth word, they just hit a stone wall. Sure, the two of them kept hopeful, but even through personal feats and adventures, they never reached the requirements. And that eventually drove a wedge between them harder than anything else. Even when she wanted to stay close to Croix, the other had begun to build a stone wall even she couldn’t pierce anymore.

Taking the show gig was the last straw. She should’ve predicted it too, yet something within her drove her to entertain. Maybe it was to avoid the hopeless feeling she’d started to brew within herself? Or maybe she had thought she’d find the seventh word through making other people feel happy?

Sometimes, she had these stints of selfishness. That was the true answer to it all: she’d felt selfish when she took that stage gig. She could finally reach one of her ideals, to be an entertainer and the bringer of joy. And then that’d come before anything else. Entertaining came before waking up the seventh word, and in the end, entertainment replaced Croix.

She regretted that more than anything. Losing Croix due to her selfishness. Croix was right, too. She should’ve focused on the words, not momentary respites. Do everything 100% or don’t do it at all. And now, Croix was gone. She’d lost contact with her after that fateful night where the moon became shaped with a cross, leaving her alone and without direction.

Becoming Ursula Callistis was just a way to atone. Even if the shiny rod had rotted away, it’d come again, with a better witch in tow. And this time, she’d be their Croix. Their guidance and teacher, and she wouldn’t let this one fail. She’d let the world be reshaped without distractions. That had been her thought process as she came to her conclusion. Not for herself or for her own redemption, not exactly, but… For Croix. 

Not accomplishing that goal hurt Croix more than it hurt herself. Croix had taken it all more seriously than Chariot ever had, even before the shiny rod had been given to her. Magic was so dear to Croix, and the concept of it eventually disappearing scarred her deeply with envy and spite the moment the rod had been given to the less qualified Chariot.

Yet, she had promised to not hate Chariot. And she’d promised to help her awaken the words… And then she’d squandered that trust. She was a horrible friend. Ursula removed her glasses and placed them on her table, lifting a hand to rub against her face. Her palm felt a little wet afterwards, but she ignored it.

If things had gone differently, would she be here? Would they have failed if they kept working on the seventh word together after graduation, without Chariot running off to entertain others? Maybe she would still be here, and maybe they’d have failed all the same. But at least they’d have failed in better terms, maybe.

She misses her so much. Even if she’d made her do something horrible, even if all those feelings had been simply faked out of pity, even if there was so much spite and anger radiating from her when they last saw each other… She missed her.

And she still felt so much for her. Love, even. And she never capitalized on it beyond awkward moments that a clumsy teen of her age couldn’t properly word. Perhaps Croix had felt the same way, too? Probably not, though. She knew that Croix had probably felt intense hatred for her the whole time. Spite and envy.

And she was right to feel that, too. She’d been robbed of a mission only she could complete. And now she wasn’t here to guide someone better than Chariot du Nord on that same mission. Ursula had to do it herself. To fix those past mistakes.

The knocking on her door caused her to snap out of her spiral of thoughts, almost jumping out of her chair due to just how much she was scared by the knocking.

“Ursula! It’s me, Akko! Let’s go and train like we agreed to!”

“Oh, Akko. I’ll be right over.”

Her voice sounded so hollow when she said that, wiping her face again. Her palm was soon wiped against her robes until it felt dried, glasses back on as she straightened herself. Her palms slapped against her cheeks until she felt somewhat energized and not so dead, heading over to the door as she opened it and slid outside.

Atsuko Kagari wouldn’t fail like she did. She would make sure of that. Not as Chariot du Nord, who had worked her hardest with Croix Meridies. But as Ursula Callistis, the teacher of magical astronomy at Luna Nova academy. 

And that promise she wouldn’t break, unlike her earlier ones.


End file.
